In an interview Tuesday with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Chambliss, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called the detainees "high-level individuals" with ties to al Qaeda as well as Mullah Mohammed Omar, who is credited with creating the Taliban.

"There's a lot of celebrating going on in the Mullah Omar household tonight, I assure you that," he said, appearing on CNN's "The Situation Room."

"These are not the type of individuals that we need to return to the battle, and I assure you, they will be Mullah Omar's board of directors to carry out additional long-term terrorist attacks against America and Americans," he said.

Asked by Blitzer what he would've done, if he were charged with determining the conditions for the swap for Bergdahl, Chambliss said "I would have offered them at least somebody at a lower level ... these guys are bad guys."

soundoff(21 Responses)

The terror will come like it our not The extremist have plans and have had they have tried and had success to often thats the world we live in fight 0r die .

June 3, 2014 08:27 pm at 8:27 pm |

Gurgyl

Entire saga of this story is just bs talk from republicans. What do they want? Sacrifice American soldier just for the sake of few caught-prisoners? We don't even know how they were caught either. This is a story crested by republican trash. Simple. I am glad he is home after five years. His parents know the bounds of happiness. –not crying republicans.

June 3, 2014 08:29 pm at 8:29 pm |

Richard in Houston

And when the war on terror ends what then? Are we just going to continue to hold these people until they all die of old age then declare war on terror over? Will these people ever be put on trial or charged with anything? War on terror is such an increditably stupid thing on so many ways!

June 3, 2014 08:52 pm at 8:52 pm |

Ali

Offered them a lower level? What a clown. So he would still negotiate with "terrorist" let thee grown men do their job and run your re-election campaign Mr. If the soldier had died they would've blamed the President for leaving a man behind. CNN is starting to become like Faux Channel. I guess Republicans have money.

June 3, 2014 09:00 pm at 9:00 pm |

Smitty

This is clear aiding and abetting the enemy during war time Obambo needs to be impeached and prisoned. How can anyone think that he isn't trying to destroy the USA???

June 3, 2014 09:20 pm at 9:20 pm |

Michael

I dunno these guys look like the Boston Red Sox infield to me.

June 3, 2014 09:42 pm at 9:42 pm |

Tampa Tim

Did Saxby ever wonder about the 500 prisoners at Gitmo that Bush released?

Just another example of our no leader in charge but he does have a pen and phone what a joke this guy is thanks Obama.

Is there any more damage you can do to our Country.

June 3, 2014 10:23 pm at 10:23 pm |

Marcus (from...?)

'Asked by Blitzer what he would've done, if he were charged with determining the conditions for the swap for Bergdahl, Chambliss said "I would have offered them at least somebody at a lower level ... these guys are bad guys."'

Considering that all those who were sent to GITMO because they COULD be 'terrorists' are no longer there, then all that are left there are not 'good guys' in any way you look at it.
So who Chambliss would have suggested for the swap? Lesser dangerous dude one or two? And what proof Chambliss has that Worst Dude One was not in the first list (sent by the Taleban) of the guys they wanted in exchange of Bergdahl? That was a SECRET NEGOTIATION, and he acts like he knows all about it.
Fact: In all wars that the USA found themselves in, there was (at some point) a prisoners swap. And in exchange of US soldiers/sailors/pilots and non-combatant folks the other side always asked for guys that were 'potentially dangerous' to the US forces and yet the swaps happened.
Didn't they? Or was this the first time that it happened?

PS: To Smith, the US Constitution has TWO Ammendments that says that no one shall be deprived of his/her rights without the due process of the law.
Bergdahl is a deserter? Court martial him! And THEN take away his freedom, or are you suggesting that the USA should let the Taleban do it for themselves?

June 3, 2014 10:45 pm at 10:45 pm |

king

They don't have any talaban left, so they have to use these releases to wage war. I see cnn have become another fox puppet. Why are they trying to scare the already scary Americans by showing these talaban convict mugshots. Now tea party folks going to running around with pitch forks and torches, shouting the talaban a coming, the talabans a coming.

June 3, 2014 10:46 pm at 10:46 pm |

freedom

This is wrong on every level. A serviceman who abandons his post, and places his comrades in danger while they're searching for him. He's traded for terrorists who will now plot against this US – Obama set them free. He is not, and has never been fit to be Commander-in-Chief of this great nation. His deeds do not come from a pure and righteous core for the good of the people of the United States of America.

June 3, 2014 11:22 pm at 11:22 pm |

Getoverit

Of course they will. EVERYONE knows that.

June 3, 2014 11:36 pm at 11:36 pm |

frznagn

And if they are responsible for aiding in the deaths of Americans, who gets the blame? Will Obama admit that he made a mistake?

June 3, 2014 11:38 pm at 11:38 pm |

Thomas

They look like the guys who work down the street at the corner liquor store in East LA.

These guys will lead us to some more bad guys , don't worry .

close GTMO ,

June 4, 2014 02:27 am at 2:27 am |

J.V.Hodgson

These republicans do two things they find detainees a Guantanamo guilty without trial... very constitutional American.
They then want based on assertions by his colleagues want to already accept he was a deserter and not the POW and promoted veteran on the surface he is, until otherwise proved by a court martial! Guilty until proved innocent again.
Yeah, Yeah, I get the politics, but if five LT colonel Talibans being exchanged can out smart the Afghan army we have trained and (9,800 and their multiple LT colonels ) to remain after 2014 and the many more thousands Of NGO's and US government contractors that will remain after 2014/5.
Our politicians both sides make me sick !! Boo hoo one deserter?? due to a prisoner exchange loses us the war In Afghanistan RISKS FAR LESS SOLDIER DEATHS THAN CONTINUING THE OVERT WAR AGAINST THE taliban. Grow up and get real!! it was already lost years AGO. ok MCCAIN IT WAS BAD DECISION. TELL ME HOW YOU WOULD HAVE DEALT WITH, FIXED EFFECTIVELY THIS PROBLEM OR stfu. STOP THE USELESS PONTIFICATING RHETORIC!!
REGARDS,
HODGSON

Congress is psychic! Can one of you psychic psychos please give me the Mega Millions numbers for this week??😊😊

June 4, 2014 06:01 am at 6:01 am |

bassman

Some websites are reporting that Hillary Clinton was skeptical of the swap. It appears Mrs. Clinton is throwing her own supporters, who are talking behind the scenes, Under the bus. John Kerry but it best, ' I was for it, before I was against it. Either Mrs. Clinton was for the swap, or against it. Cant have it both ways.

June 4, 2014 06:25 am at 6:25 am |

Marie MD

As if they are not already planning to attack us gain if they can.
As far as this southern politician. I listened to his rant yesterday and I was okay with it, never will agree with him, until he mentioned the arrogance of the WH because if any one group in the US right now who are arrogant and anti everything not rich it's congress and the teaklans.
Yes, the detainees are bad guys but look in the mirror every morning and see what YOU and your teaklans are doing to our country. You are all a cancer that needs to be voted out.
Besides that what is a saxby?

June 4, 2014 06:33 am at 6:33 am |

A Kickin` Donkey

1.) The Senate used to be regarded as the high brow, erudite, legislative arm of our government. Senators respected themselves and that instituion enough NOT to besmerch it by spewing hyperbole. "I`m sure there is celecrating going on in Mullah ______`s household" is not the kind of unsubstantiated verbal diaherea we should get from a Senator and the reporter should have asked Chambliss if this was a fact.
2) So let me understand . . . An embassy/consulate associated CIA Officer [an American] was killed in 2001 [the Bush Years] , Chambliss claims we put him in a cell but didn`t prosecute him. Seems that Bush failed to keep this brave American safe and didn`t get justice for him or his family. Our Constituiton calls for "due process" as we carry out our governmental actions. Certainly a "conservative" knows this, right? A conservative couldnt possibly be saying something counter to the Constitution. Certainly Chambliss isn`t so arrogant that he thinks we have the right to lock antbody up, with no trial or ajudication, and then hold them until they die. And what about the